If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
AUGUST 7
Ezra 5-6
As you read today, look at the charts at the end of this document. Ezra
doesn't enter the story "real-time" until chapter 7, almost 60 years
after the temple was completed. Pretty interesting, huh? Ezra appears to be
showing the Jews that in spite of the opposition, God has remained true to His
promise through Abraham to preserve them.
Ezra 5
Vs. 1-2 According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT (BKC-OT),
p. 662, both Haggai and Zechariah began speaking to the leaders in 520 B.C.
Although Ezra says that the reason the people stopped building the temple was
the influence of the hostile neighbors, the prophets point to the people
settling into comfort. The droughts they were experiencing were because they
were taking care of themselves and not completing the temple. One very
interesting note is that the message of the prophet Zechariah was almost
entirely prophetic, pointing to the end of the age. The book of Zechariah reads
like the Revelation of the OT. Part of the Lord's motivation to these people
was to lift their eyes to the close of the age and Israel fulfilling its
redemptive mission for mankind. God used both of these prophets to give people the
courage and vision they needed.
Besides the general resistance of sin to obeying God, remember that
these people who returned had worshipped God in Babylon without a temple. The
synagogue system came out of Babylon. A school of scribes and copies of the
Bible came out of Babylon. God blessed them in Babylon. So, why did they need a
temple, especially when the Persians didn't think it was a good idea?
When you think of this, remember how much emphasis Ezra put on David
planning for the temple in 1 Chronicles. There was a method to Ezra's madness.
He wanted the leaders and people to model David, the king of God's blessing,
through whom would come the Messiah.
Vs. 3-17 This is the opposition to Zerubbabel and Joshua building the
temple. Tattenai wrote this letter, and I wonder how they got the copy of it.
Tattenai seems like a very conscientious administrator. Notice that he didn't
make them stop, while he was waiting for an answer. The Lord was in this.
Vs. 11-12 In the Jews' self confession, they saw themselves as servants
of God; and they understood that God had deported them because of their
disobedience.
V. 14 That these vessels were there with them would have been a reason
for Tattenai to go slowly and check out this claim. Also, since Tattenai didn't
mention Zerubbabel, it appears that Sheshbazzar might be Zerubbabel's
Babylonian name.
V. 17 It is interesting to me that Tattenai had a suggestion for a fair
process in this dispute. The records from Cyrus would, and did, settle the
matter.
Ezra 6
Vs. 1-5 Cyrus was in his summer palace when he wrote the decree and it
is amazing that they found it. They didn’t even have Google. Ecbatana in
northwestern Iran was the capital of the Assyrian, Persian, Median nation after
the destruction of Nineveh. Ecbatana was the summer palace, and Susa, near
Babylon, was the winter palace.
V. 3 This is interesting. Cyrus also gave plans or instructions for
rebuilding the temple. This is new information, and we also have to account for
the reaction of Darius I when he received these records. I'm willing to bet it
goes back to Daniel. The history of what God had done to Nebuchadnezzar would
have been well known to both Darius the Mede and to Cyrus. Darius the Mede and
Prince Cyrus would have been regular guests in Babylon. The history of what had
taken place in Babylon the night that Darius took the city would have been
known. The event with the lions led to an empire-wide law and command. There
was a fear of Yahweh. I think Daniel was asked regarding the size and needs of
a rebuilt temple. I think that Darius I probably knew of the reverence of his
namesake, Darius the Mede, for Daniel and his God, Yahweh, and responded with
that same sense of awe and fear.
Vs. 6-12 There is warning and threat in this command. If you want to
see the warning of v. 11 spoken by another Darius, read Daniel 6.
Vs. 13-15 This again is a summary statement, not only to the completion
of the temple, but also the completion of the city. Verse 14 mentions
Artaxerxes who would become king twenty years after the death of Darius I. God
was still in the business of causing Gentile kings to bless Israel. The Jews
needed to see they could follow the Lord by faith.
V. 15 This is when the temple was finished.
Vs. 16-18 We have seen this before. Before they could dedicate the
temple and hold the Passover, the priests and the Levites had to be organized
and consecrated.
Vs. 19-22 They had been back in Jerusalem for 23 years when they
dedicated the finished temple. According to the BKC-OT, p. 665, this Passover
was 900 years after the first Passover in Egypt.
V. 22 shows that the people understood that God was working among them.
Darius I was referred to as the King of Assyria since the Persian Empire was
actually a result of a civil war gone wild. The Persians, Medes and Assyrians
were all related; and when Cyrus and Darius the Mede revolted against Cyrus's
grandfather, who reigned over the Medes and Persians from Assyria, they not
only won the revolt, but decided to carry it further against the decaying
Babylonian Empire.
The points that seem to be important for Ezra have to do with the faith
and obedience of the people hearing and responding to the Word of God. God had
shown that He would favor them before the Persians and that it would lead to
the reestablishment of the temple worship of Israel. They only needed to obey.
Returning to the Word and following the Lord seems like a good idea for
us too. As we work in the harvest, doing what the Lord has commanded and fitted
us for, we find opportunities and conflicts too. And there will be occasions
when the Lord opens doors of favor to give us unexpected fruit. But first, we
have to follow Him and His Word. Then, as the prophet Zechariah reminded the
returnees, we need to remember His coming and the plan being worked out now so
that we will follow our Lord into the harvest, reaching out to the lost and
making disciples, who make disciples.
1 Corinthians 3:5-23
Vs. 5-9 So, here is a "spiritual" understanding of the
workers in the harvest. Notice that God's goal is not the glorification of the
servants, it is the building of the church. Notice too that there are two
images here: a field and a building. One refers to the harvest and bearing
fruit, and the other to God dwelling within us. And even in the building of the
church there is the purpose of the harvest; that is, to reach the lost and
bring them into the church as disciples, who make disciples. Paul's point here
is that the exalting of God's servants shows that the Corinthians have missed
the point of what is happening now on this planet.
Vs. 10-15 Here is
a spiritual perspective on our work on this earth, on the foundation of Christ.
This ministry of building upon the foundation applies to "anyone;"
that is, everyone who knows Christ. It not only means how we personally build
on what the Spirit has done in our lives, but it also applies to building into
the lives of others. In this letter we will see that all things are to be done
for the building up of one another. We saw this ministry to one another in
Romans 12-15, and we'll see it again in Ephesians 4.
The word that is
translated suffer loss is also
familiar to Jesus' teaching on discipleship. Of the times this word is used
besides here, it is found twice in Acts 27 for throwing the ship's cargo
overboard and losing it. Once Paul uses it in 2 Corinthians saying that he had
to grieve the church through his rebuke so they wouldn't suffer loss, but
instead be fruitful. And then it is used in Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36 and Luke
9:25 as Jesus taught His disciples saying, For
what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits
himself? Jesus directed this warning to His disciples. It clearly doesn't
mean they would lose their salvation, but that they would suffer loss. Putting
everything together, if we live for ourselves in Christ, we damage our
souls/lives now; and we “suffer loss” when we enter His presence, seeing that
our life’s activity and what we built on Christ was worthless to Him.
Whatever that "burning
up" looks like, it will not be trite. We think that this judgment won't
matter or be important, because we will be saved eternally and be somewhat
invulnerable spiritually. How bad could it be? Besides, we'll be in heaven.
Jesus used very severe images when referring to followers who slept or supposed
their master was delayed. Some of those images have made Bible teachers squirm
and perform interpretive acrobatics, because the punishment sounds similar to
what happens to those who reject Christ. We can't lose our salvation, but we
can experience punishment. Even here in these verses, what does it mean to be saved, but only as through fire? I don't
think that will be a "fire" experience we will "yawn" our
way through.
Positively spoken,
we need to remember who our Master is. We are here to follow Him into the
harvest, reaching out to the lost and making disciples.
Vs. 16-17 Here is
a spiritual perspective on who and what we really are, temples of the Holy
Spirit. Keep in mind that the temple was a place for people to find forgiveness
and fellowship with God. The temple was only valuable because of who lived in
it. It wasn't a shrine. God lives in us, but He keeps us on this planet to work
in the harvest so that others can find Him. In the next letter to these same
people, Paul will say in 2 Corinthians 4:7 (RSV), "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to
show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us."
Vs. 18-23 Here is
a spiritual perspective on where our focus in life should be, on Christ and the
redemptive plan of God. Notice how v. 18 sounds a little like Jesus saying in
Mark 8:35-36, For whoever
would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and
the gospel's will save it. For
what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Again,
this was said to the disciples.
Vs. 21-23 This is
a tremendous statement, but only if we value these things. If our treasure is
in heaven and we are here to serve Christ in the harvest, this is an amazing
reality that opens doors of blessing and fulfillment. If our treasure is here
and we are reserving heaven for when we can't enjoy this stuff anymore, what
Paul has just said seems like being promised oatmeal, with nothing on it, three
times a day.
Psalm 29
It is suggested that the occasion for this psalm was David sitting on a
mountain, watching a thunderstorm sweep over the land. The view of God's power
and majesty might have inspired these words.
Vs. 1-2 In the greatness of this storm, it seems like David caught a
glimpse of God's spiritual command and holy power over all creation. Notice how
vocal these verses are and that they end in worship.
Vs. 3-9 This section is easy to follow because of The voice of the Lord. You can sense the power of the storm in
these images. Notice again how vocal this is. God still speaks to those who can
hear Him.
Vs. 10-11 All of this gave David a sense of God's power and majesty.
Even today, for all of the glory and splendor of humanity, it only takes one
good tornado, hurricane, flood or earthquake to show us how puny we are and how
needy we are of God's help and power.
Notice that verse 10 is a declaration of reality, spiritual and
physical. Verse 11 is the prayer or petition of the psalm. Amen.
Proverbs 20:26-27
The common element in both verses is the searching and winnowing. I'm
challenged by Paul and the Spirit's emphasis on being more tuned to the Spirit,
winnowing through the events of life and the words and actions of others,
searching to see what the Lord is doing around us in the harvest.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full presentation
of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
No comments:
Post a Comment